Pasta/pesto ratio

[Goodwitch9]

How many grams of pasta to a jar of, say, Sacla pesto sauce? I never seem to get it right!

Home made pesto does taste a lot nicer. I have a friend who makes it with wild garlic leaves. It's delicious.

Obviously not. But I have nipped into the shop to buy basil/coriander on the way home when I decide to make it, I'd have all the other ingredients anyway.

Just mentioned it in case the OP was assuming it was tricky to make fresh.

That's an excellent comparison. I can drink instant coffee so long as I'm not expecting proper coffee because it's a different drink.

Similar for pesto.

@Enrichetta that's only quick if you have 80g of basil permanently to hand. The other ingredients all keep but not the basil.

I just buy a couple of packs of basil when I do my weekly shopping… Along with the parsley, mint, dill, chives - and fresh coriander if I am planning to make a curry.

NB: pesto made with parsley also works.

edit: BASIL !!

Yep me too I love pesto

nowt wrong with a jar of pesto

Im really in love with Lidls Pastachio Pesto at the moment and would love to get DH to feel the love, but alas :( Its my sneaky lunch treat, pasta or gnocchi , the pesto and a good grind of parmesan

I love pesto, even from a jar. It needs to be generous though. There’s five of us so I’d chuck the whole jar in with 500g of pasta and ecpect leftovers for lunch. My top tip is throw a beaten egg in with the pesto and let it cook in the heat of the pasta, just stir through in pan with hob off.

I've been waiting for a food snob to give OP a recipe for home made pasta! 😀

DH is from Liguria and has never turned his nose up at jar pesto, although I do buy a pretty authentic one (no margarine, no peanuts PLEASE). Star Tigullio brand with garlic. I find Saclà is a bit grassy textured.

The important thing is to mix jar pesto with some cooking water before it meets the pasta. Extra-wet pasta with neat pesto is not the same!

So for three adults (250g pasta) I put a ladle of pasta water into a small bowl and add approximately 3 dessert spoons of pesto. Whisk it up until creamy and the hot water has melted the cheese and made the basil more fragrant.
Then drain your pasta and mix together back in the pan.

Ah I'm not a fan of buying packet herbs in advance. They just don't keep. I keep pots of the ones we use most but basil, well you need a lot for pesto and it never does well in a pot for me. So I would need to pop and buy it each time.

Oo I will try this thanks 😊